DonC

Paul, you need to get back in! Don

Thanks, Bernhard! Don

Thanks, Dave! Don

Hi All - I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good book that details the German Army Order of Battle from 1939-1945, either one book or a series, in English preferably, but I could make do with my schoolboy German. I am specifically looking for unit designations, parent units, and where they were posted/engaged. As always, any help appreciated! Don

The Twins...

Pionier 'Rock:

Hi All - Just thought I would share my two new Waffenrocks I picked up at the Show of Shows in Louisville, KY last week: A Pionier Oberleutnant and a Transportation Oberdfeldwebel with all private-purchase insignia, which I am a complete sucker for. Enjoy! Don

Yup, it's a hand snipper! That's what I was afraid of - thanks much, Rick! Don

Reverse...

Close-up...

Hi All - Got this bar in a large lot of items - 20 mm ribbons, and one whopper gold eagle for the LS ribbon. The eagle appears to be the kind used for the medal bar. No blacklight glow, but I know that the gold eagle alone on a spange is a big no-no in the Heer. Could this be Kriegsmarine, or is it an out and out fraud? As always, any and all help appreciated! Don

I thought Stahlhelm or Freikorps. Sorry I can't be more specific. Don

Thanks, Laurence - I feel vindicated! Don

To further stir the pot, I am not sure that that is an "HV" cypher on his board - it looks more like the Wehrmachtsadler device, which would mean that he was serving in an even more arcane capacity... I'll have to dig out my Angolia tonight and have a look. Don

Hi All - Has anyone seen one of these before? I just acqwuired it this weekend, and since diplomatic is not my area, I plan to move it to finance other items. Any idea as to a decent value? As always, any help is much appreciated! Don

Another...

OK - let's see if this works... Don

Hello - Feel free to send them to me at mutzenfabrik@yahoo.com. Don

Here's a closer shot of the insignia. The adler was unfortunately deNazified at some point... Don

I'll post some more pics tonight - it is neat in that the shoulderstraps were obviously done very carefully when the guy was promoted - the stitching is very careful, but in using a slightly different tress, you get a different patina on it. And it doesn't glow!

Hi All - Thought I would share my latest 'rock with you - an Unterfeldwebel from Wehrkreis V, headquartered in Stuttgart. Don

A German-issued ticket to a lecture - at the Acropolis in Athens! Dated 1943. Also a spare SS-marked button in a Heer NCO M36 pocket. And loose tobacco once, which was probably pretty hard to get. Don

Just wanted to check in and say that I read Jones' volume on the Freikorps and it was quite good. I was disappointed to learnt hat his book is published under a different title as a second edition - I took both back from my library onlyt o find they were the same text! There wasn't much on the Silesian campaign - Jones concentrates on the Freikorps in Berlin, Munich and the Ruhr. Still, an easy and itneresting read. Don

Hi Douglas - I believe that "Ersatz" refers to replacement units - the "repo depots" of WWII US Army fame, in an imperfect analogy, while the reserves are just that - officers witha reserve status - part timers. They could be attached to active duty units and usually were during wartime when they served as full time soldiers/airmen/seamen. Each unit would have an Ersatz unit from which to draw replacements. What I do not know if whether there were EM/NCO reservists in the Whermacht or if it was only officers who could be reservists.

Thanks very much, gentlemen - time to do some online searches. SOunds like Jones is the man for Freikorps history! I have not researched the FK much, considering that so many future German officers served in them. It will help me to understand the mindset a little more, I hope. Don ps - Fortune smiles - Both Jones volumes and the Osprey volume are in the local university library! Thanks for all your help! dc